


What'd I Miss?

by OkiAshi



Series: Seven Years Gone [1]
Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alfred Pennyworth is the Best, Barbara Gordon Appreciation, Brotherly Bonding, Bruce Wayne Tries to Be a Good Parent, Coffee Lover Tim Drake, Damian Wayne is Bad at Feelings, Damian Wayne is a good brother, Dick Grayson Gets a Hug, Dick Grayson Needs a Hug, Dick Grayson is a Ray of Sunshine, Dick Grayson-centric, Fluff and Angst, Hurt Dick Grayson, Jason Todd Has a Heart, Kinda, Minor Barbara Gordon/Dick Grayson, Protective Damian Wayne, Shocking I know, Tim Drake is Bad at Self-Care, Tim Drake is So Done, because he deserves it, dick buddy please use your words, everyone's actually getting along for once, he cares about his brothers he just doesn't act like it, he's very good, if you want it to be, tim drake actually goes to sleep, you always tell other people to do that and now you're not
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-11
Updated: 2021-02-02
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:41:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 10,767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24657016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OkiAshi/pseuds/OkiAshi
Summary: Dick Grayson falls into a coma.Seven years later, he wakes up.
Relationships: Barbara Gordon & Dick Grayson, Dick Grayson & Justice League, Tim Drake & Dick Grayson & Alfred Pennyworth & Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne & Damian Wayne
Series: Seven Years Gone [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1843774
Comments: 72
Kudos: 363





	1. Awake Again

Dick hears the beeping before he opens his eyes.

He frowns slightly, his eyebrows furrowed. His mind races to connect the sound with an object, and after a few seconds, he does. It’s the sound of a beeping heart rate monitor- he’s gotten familiar with it over the years. But that makes no sense; he doesn’t remember getting injured recently.

His eyes open, and he stares blankly at the stalactites above him. The beeping becomes faster.

Slowly, he begins to push himself up, hearing the bats around him grow even more restless. 

“Bruce?” He calls, his voice scratchy from not using it in so long. His former mentor doesn’t respond, and a quick look around confirms that Bruce isn’t here. Why is Dick even the cave? Like his injuries, he doesn’t remember coming to the Batcave. 

Speaking of his injuries, they don’t seem to be that bad, although the various things connected to him indicate otherwise.

He brushes his hair from his eyes. This is the third time that his hair has been bothering him since he’s woken up, and he can already tell that he’ll need a haircut. He frowns slightly as he begins to swing his legs over the bed. The heart rate monitor is full-blown having a meltdown now.

Slowly, Dick disconnects some of the things connected to him. He knows that he’ll be yelled at later, but he’s done it before without any physical repercussions. He gingerly sets his feet on the cold floor, then begins to stand. 

He instantly falls back onto the bed, breathing heavily. He frowns slightly, puzzled. He’s felt weak before… but never like this. His arms shake slightly as he tries to push himself up again. 

Glass shatters, and he falls back on the bed in surprise. He looks up at the newcomer. 

“Alfred!” He says quickly. “I can help you clean that up-” He pauses. Alfred’s not scolding him, nor is he instantly rushing over to Dick. Instead, he stands there, staring at Dick with a stunned expression. He doesn’t even address the broken glass cup on the floor. Uneasiness begins to stir in the younger man. 

“Alfred? What’s wrong?” He says cautiously. 

And then the man speaks, his voice thick with emotion. “Master Dick.”


	2. An Old Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick is confused.

“Master Bruce said that he’d be here shortly.” Alfred says, sweeping up the remnants of the cup. Dick watches him do so, wishing that Alfred hadn’t forbidden him from helping him. At least cleaning would take his mind off of everything.

He still doesn’t know exactly what’s going on. All he knows is that he was unconscious for a period of time, and that Bruce was worried up until this point. So Dick has probably been out for a few weeks, although Alfred’s refusal to go into details concerns him. The man hasn’t even told him what day it is. 

The butler has told him that Bruce will tell him exactly what had happened, but they both know that this is just Alfred trying to get Bruce to talk to people. Dick has no idea how much Bruce will get into detail.

Judging by the fact that Alfred isn’t trying to contact Bruce through the commlink that all the vigilantes share, Dick guesses that it’s still daytime. And since Damian isn’t in the Cave, it’s probably around early afternoon. Other than that, Dick can’t scrounge up any more information. 

He glances around the area again, this time paying more attention. He cocks his head slightly. Bruce has upgraded the Batmobile since Dick lost consciousness. It seems even slicker than before- more technologically advanced. Dick’s gaze flicks to the motorcycle next to the car. It’s one of Jason’s, he can tell, and it’s also been upgraded. 

It makes sense for Jason to upgrade his motorcycle. He’s always been able to move on fairly quickly, and doesn’t obsess over most things. Most likely, he wasn’t affected at all when Dick got injured, which is sad, but is probably the truth. But Bruce switching up his car design is weird. He’s never cared about little things like that when something like this happens. So that’s something to take note of, Dick guesses.

From the corner of his vision, he can see something moving. He focuses on it, and sees that it's Alfred the cat. The cat stretches for a few seconds, yawning, then makes eye contact with Dick.

He pauses, then quickly leaps down. He avoids Alfred the human’s broom and the glass shards on the floor, practically sprinting over to Dick. He jumps on Dick’s lap and settles down, purring immensely. Dick smiles.

“Hey.” He says softly. 

“That cat’s missed you, Master Dick.” Alfred says, not looking up from where he’s cleaning. Then, more quietly, he says. “We all have.”

Something about the way that he says that causes Dick to look up sharply, but he can’t get any more information. Reluctantly, he looks back at the cat. And that’s when he notices.

Damian once told him that cats get the white hairs when they grow older, just as humans do. Since then, Dick’s been able to tell approximately how old an animal is. And he knows for a fact that Alfred the cat was about middle-aged when Dick last saw him. But now his whole muzzle is almost completely white.

Something’s wrong.


	3. Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce's POV time!

Bruce knows that this is a dream.

A dream, that, while may seem like a good one, is terrible. Because it’s getting his hopes up. If his emotional wounds had healed, this dream would have reopened them.

Because he knows that there’s no way that he’s just gotten a phone call from Alfred- the same phone call that he’s been waiting for for a very long time.

There’s no way that Dick’s woken up.

But that doesn’t stop him from nearly pushing past the speed limit while driving to the Manor. That doesn’t stop his heart from racing as he reaches his house. And that doesn’t stop him from throwing the door open and rushing down to the Batcave.

This is a dream. Or a false alarm. 

That doesn’t stop the faint spark of hope from growing in him.

He jumps over the railing, his legs buckling slightly.  _ Calm down. It’s just a dream.  _

And then he hears the voice. The voice that he hasn’t heard in what seems like forever. The voice he’s been wanting to hear ever since the accident. 

“Hey, B.” Dick says, giving the same smile that he always used to give. Like nothing has changed.

_ It’s just a dream.  _

But Bruce’s guarded demeanor crumbles. 

“Dick.” He breathes.


	4. Realization

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick gets caught up (somewhat).

Seven years.

It’s been seven years since Dick was last awake.

He stares numbly at Bruce as he explains quickly. He catches some words:  _ Coma  _ and  _ accident,  _ and he knows that he should be paying attention, but he can’t. 

Seven years.

He’s thirty now. Halfway through the average lifespan of a human. The number feels unreal.

Bruce must be in his late forties- he’ll be turning fifty in a few years. Dick remembers when he was in his twenties. Dick’s older than Bruce was when he adopted Dick. He doesn’t know how to feel.

Alfred’s in his mid-seventies, but he doesn’t look different. That’s the eerie thing- none of them do- not really. Both men look more tired, but that’s the only indication that time has passed. If someone told Dick that he has only been out for a few days, he’d have believed them.

Jason must be in his early twenties now. He’s twenty-five, Dick realizes. He’s way too young. And Tim’s the same age as Dick was when he lost consciousness- twenty-three. He’s not even in his teens anymore. 

And Damian-

Damian.

Damian’s eighteen. Dick’s missed his whole childhood. The kid must feel as if though Dick’s abandoned him.

Dick’s mouth is dry, and he’s clutching the mattress, which is uncharacteristic of him. His chest feels tight.

“Master Bruce.” They hear Alfred say from behind Bruce. He takes a step forward.

“Perhaps it would be wise to let Master Dick rest for now. We have plenty of time to throw information at him.” He says. Dick instantly feels relief flow through him. Alfred shoots him a knowing look.

“Right.” Bruce says after a pause. He almost sounds… embarrassed. “Of course. I just-” He seems to try to find the words. “It’s good to see you awake, Dick.” He pats Dick’s shoulder awkwardly. 

Despite everything, Dick grins. “It’s good to  _ be _ awake.” And it is.

Still, something in Dick longs for time to go back. To stop himself from ever getting into a coma in the first place.

He’s missed so much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi again!  
> Two quick things:  
> The first thing is that I'm probably getting the ages horribly wrong. I'm pretty sure that Dick is in his early twenties in the most recent comics, although I honestly don't know. The same goes for the rest of the mentioned Batfam, so apologies in advance if I'm wrong.   
> Also, thank you so much for the support that I've been getting! Your comments make my day. As always, feedback is much appreciated as well!  
> Talk to you later,  
> Oki


	5. Patrol

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I can't tell you what's going to happen because uhhhh spoilers.

Bruce is going out on patrol, and he’s forbidden Dick from joining him. 

As much as Dick wants to argue, he doesn’t know if him patrolling would be much help. His legs still won’t work as they should, and he’s already getting tired again. But whenever he thinks about laying down again and going to sleep, he immediately becomes wide awake again.

He’s not sure if he’ll wake up.

So instead, he takes a seat next to Alfred and watches the feed coming in from Bruce. It’s been years, but it doesn’t feel that way. He sees Batman fight the Penguin, and the villain doesn’t look any different from how he looked seven years ago. Gotham doesn’t look that different, either. 

The only thing that tips him off that things have changed is the new villains that Bruce runs across. He seems to have fought most of them before, and Dick makes a note to try to find out as much as he can about them so that he’s prepared to fight them when he’s better.

Midway through patrol, right before dawn, someone else connects to the commlink. 

“Drake to Penny-one.” 

Dick’s heart stops. He glances back at Alfred, already smiling. The butler’s expression doesn’t change that much, but his lips twitch upwards just a little. He looks at Dick, his eyes questioning. Dick shakes his head. He doesn’t need to distract Tim right now. 

“Penny-one here, sir,” Alfred says.

“Any updates about the drug shipment?” Tim’s voice is different somehow. More gravelly. Dick leans forwards.

“I do believe that Master Bruce took care of that problem,” Alfred says. 

“I did.” Bruce says from his end of the line. 

“You’re in a good mood.” Tim says instantly. Of course, he’d know that something’s up.

“He is.” Alfred says carefully. 

“Did Jason say hi to him or something?” Tim asks, and he sounds like he’s running again.  
There’s a quick moment of silence. Then Dick leans into the microphone.

“Well, B? Did he?” He says.  
A pause. Dick can’t remember the last time Tim’s been so shocked. He chuckles.

Then Tim seems to come to life again, because he speaks up, although his tone is a lot more urgent than before. “Ha-ha. Very funny. Who is this?”  
Dick’s shaking with suppressed laughter. “Who do you think I am, Tim?”   
Another long pause, and Tim speaks again, his voice light with disbelief. “Batman? Are you hearing this?”  
“I am.” Bruce responds, and Dick can hear him smiling. Tim doesn’t respond for a few moments.

“I’m sure Master Bruce wouldn’t mind if you stopped by the Cave.” Alfred says professionally.

“Go ahead.” Bruce responds.

Then Tim’s turned off his comm, and on another screen, Alfred and Dick can see Tim’s tracker racing across rooftops. 

Dick’s heart pounds in his chest.


	6. Everyone Needs Coffee

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim and Dick catch up. 
> 
> (Slight language warning!)

Dick’s seen Tim worked up before. When he was convinced that Bruce was still alive. When he was trying to figure out who the Red Hood was. When Damian died. 

But the last time that he saw Tim  _ this _ worked up was when he was trying to convince Dick that Bruce needed another Robin. Dick hasn’t counted on him being this stunned.

Tim leans against a wall, running his hands through his hair. “I still can’t believe that you weren’t going to tell me.”  
“We were always gonna tell you, Tim.” Dick soothes. 

“Yeah, but you weren’t gonna tell me right away.” Tim accuses. 

“I was under the impression that you were busy, Master Tim.” Alfred responds. Tim shoots him a look.

“I could have stopped being busy to see my brother, Alfred.” He says, irritated. Dick laughs.

“I didn’t know you’d be so pissed.” He says. Tim looks back at him, frowning slightly. Then the tension in his body seems to ease. 

“Of course I’m pissed. But you’re awake, so I guess I shouldn’t be that pissed.” He says, finally smiling. 

Tim looks back at Alfred.

“Did you tell everyone else?”

“Master Bruce invited them to the Manor. They should be coming here tomorrow. If that’s alright, Master Dick?” Alfred questions, inclining his head slightly. 

“That’s fine.” Dick responds as Bruce walks down the stairs. 

“You’re still awake.” He addresses Dick. 

“I couldn’t go to sleep.” Dick says sheepishly. Understanding seems to hit Bruce, because all he says is that Dick should try to. Dick says that he will, knowing that he won’t.

He turns to Tim. “Have you been sleeping at all?” He says. Tim doesn’t look like he has.

“Haha, no.” His brother says, sitting down. Dick narrows his eyes.

“Tim.” He says exasperatedly. Tim shrugs his shoulders.

“I think I lost the ability to.” He says. Before Dick can scold him, he continues. “Did Alfred tell you what the demon’s doing?”  
His tactic works, because Dick automatically stops reprimanding him. “No. What?”  
Tim begins to say something, then catches Bruce’s gaze. He pauses, then shakes his head. “Never mind. Damian can tell you on his own terms.”

“Did he kill someone or something?” Dick asks, fear settiling in him. He’d thought that Damian had gotten control of his anger, but what if he hadn't?  
“No, nothing like that.” Tim’s quick to assure him. “You’ll like it.” He seems to think it over. “I think.” He turns back to Bruce.

“Jason wasn’t connected to the comms tonight?”

“No.” Bruce responds. “He said that he’ll be out of Gotham until tomorrow.”  
Dick freezes. “He tells you guys where he is now?” If so, that’s some major character development.

“Kinda.” Tim tells him. “If he feels like it.” 

“I do believe that yesterday he said “Don’t try calling me. I’m going to be out of Gotham for two days, and if I get a call from anyone but Alfred, I’ll fucking kill someone.”” Alfred says, disapproval in his voice.

“What if Dick called him?” Tim asks humorously. Alfred smiles.

“I don’t think he’d kill someone then.” He says. “Would you like to call him, Master Dick?”   
Dick hesitates. “I mean, I want to. But if Dami comes to the Manor tomorrow, and he’s  the only one out of the loop, I think he’d feel upset.”   


“I forgot that you guys were close.” Tim says thoughtfully. “But that’s smart.”

Bruce stands up from where he has taken a seat. “Yes. I’m going to have to ask you to refrain from telling anyone else that you’re awake right now. Telling Tim was fine because you told him through the comms, but don’t call anyone. The person who put you in the coma hasn’t been captured, and I don’t know if they’d strike again.” The warning puts a damper on the atmosphere in the cave. Then Alfred clears his throat.

“There’s food upstairs. I’ll bring down some for the three of you.” He says.

All three men thank him as he leaves. Then Tim speaks up again.

“Babs is going to know, though.” He says. “She visits Dick every day.”   
“As long as they don’t contact each other on the phone, it’s fine.” Bruce says, while Dick  freezes slightly. 

Babs is totally going to kill him when she sees him tomorrow. 


	7. Babs Finds Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just what the title says lol.

Dick doesn’t know what time he fell asleep, but he does at some point. He wakes up a few times, satisfying both Bruce and Alfred, but he can’t stay awake for very long periods of time.

When he fully wakes up, it’s around noon. The light twitter of bats tells him that he's still in the cave.

As he looks around, he notes that Tim has buried his face in his arms, and is currently halfway on Dick’s bed. Dick smiles a little. At least Tim’s finally gotten to sleep.

Bruce is tapping away at a keyboard as Dick slowly sits up. He glances up at the reflection on the screen, then turns around.

“Dick.” He says in a way of greeting. Dick’ll still have to get used to him actually paying attention. He grins at Bruce.

“Morning, B. What time is it?”

“One forty.” Bruce replies automatically. He must have checked the time when he saw that Dick was awake. 

“Damn, I really slept off the whole day, huh?” His son says, stretching. “I’ll probably sleep another seven years soon.”  
“Don’t even joke about that.” Bruce says sternly. It seems like even that comment can’t bring his good mood down though. Sure, he’s not smiling constantly, or jumping up and down for joy, but his tone is lighter, and before Dick and Tim went to sleep, he was quicker to smile. It’s refreshing, seeing that.

Out of the corner of his vision, Dick sees Tim shift slightly, groaning. Slowly, the boy (no.. he’s not a teenager anymore) sits up. He blinks blearily at the other people, then seems to double-take when he sees Dick.

“You finally fell asleep,” Dick says, grinning. Tim returns the smile. 

“Yeah, didn’t plan on that.” He says. He sits up fully. “Bruce.”

“Tim. Alfred set up an outfit for you upstairs.” Batman says, addressing the fact that Tim’s still in his Drake uniform. He shifts his gaze to Dick. “He said that he has something for you, too.” He continues. “I’ll take you upstairs.” 

“No, that’s okay.” Dick says, beginning to stand up. “I can go upstairs by my-” He stumbles, and Tim automatically catches him. 

“You can’t.” Bruce says flatly, standing up as well. “Your legs still aren’t accustomed to being used after so long.” He walks over to them and grabs one of Dick’s arms, wrapping it around his shoulders. “Wait a few more weeks.”  
Dick feels his face heat up. “Right. Yeah.” He says softly. He tries to not let himself get too put down.

_ Relax. It’s not like this’ll be a full-time thing. _

Still, his mood sours a little.

*****

Thirty minutes later, and everyone’s dressed in casual clothes, apart from Bruce, who’s wearing a suit. He must have gone to work earlier this morning and not bothered to change back into regular clothes. 

The Manor doesn’t even look that different either. It’s like everything has frozen in time. Dick mentions this to Tim as his brother helps him to the dining room, still trying to keep the happy persona that he’s had since he’s woken up.

“Who knows? Maybe Bruce really did. He wouldn’t have told us.” Tim says. After receiving a sharp look from his brother, he quickly adds on “Kidding. But yeah, Bruce hasn’t really bothered to change anything other than the Batmobile. And he was forced to change that because it blew up.”

Dick yanks himself away from Tim. “What?!”

Tim hastily grabs onto him again. “The Batmobile blows up every other week, Dick.” He opens the door to the dining room. Then they suddenly stop walking.

Babs stares at Dick for a few seconds, not comprehending. Dick stares back at her. For a second, she seems like a stranger. Then she frowns at him, and he returns it with a grin.

“Richard John Grayson!” The woman yells, storming around the table. “You complete and utter idiot!”

For a second, Dick seriously thinks she’s going to punch him. He can feel Tim getting ready to bolt.

And then Babs stops, directly in front of Dick. She studies him for a few seconds, her eyes serious. She lunges at him, and he tenses.

And then she hugs him. 

Tim moves away on instinct, so now it’s only Babs propping Dick up. But Dick doesn’t really mind. He’s missed Babs’s hugs, he’s realized. For once, it feels like he hasn’t been hugged in seven years.

“Hey, Babs.” He says quietly, hugging her back. They stay like this for a few moments, then Babs pulls away, as if she thinks that she shouldn’t be hugging him. Her nose is slightly red.

“I hate you so much.” She says, but the words have no malice behind them. Dick huffs a laugh as Tim walks back to help him stand.

“Uh-huh.”  
Babs gives a growl of frustration as she makes as if she’s about to leave. She twists around to look at Tim.

“And you! Why didn’t you tell me that he was awake?”  
“I fell asleep,” Tim responds. Bab’s expression falls, and she looks stunned. 

“That’s… that’s valid.” She says. She glares at Dick. “See? When you’re around, Tim actually goes to sleep. So why did you have to go and get into a coma?”  
Dick leans forward slightly. He feels the old satisfaction as he realizes that he’s still taller than Babs. He doesn’t need a repeat of their childhood, when Babs teased him constantly about his shortness.

“I’m sorry, Ms. Gordon.” He says teasingly. She wrinkles her nose at him, jabbing a punch at his shoulder. Tim barely manages to catch him before he falls over.


	8. Thirty Second Hide And Seek

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A quick warning- there is a little bit of swearing. 
> 
> But uh, if that doesn't give away who's gonna show up, I don't know what will.

All five of them- Dick, Babs, Tim, Alfred, and Bruce- eat lunch together. 

Dick relaxes even more. He doesn’t remember the last time that they all had lunch together. Usually, Bruce would be in the Batcave, and Tim and Babs would be off doing things on their own. So would Dick, probably, as much as he doesn’t like to admit it.

So it’s nice, sitting at a table, all of them being here. And both Jason and Damian are coming later as well, so this day should be pretty good.

After lunch, Tim leaves to do some research in the cave, but both he and Dick know that he’s just leaving so that Babs and Dick can be alone. They talk for a few hours, then walk back down to the cave to talk to Tim, who’s actually managed to find something to work on. 

The three of them work on the case for about an hour, then call down Bruce to tell them that they’ve solved it. It’s a cold case, and unfortunately, the perpetrator is already dead, but Bruce makes a note to give the files to Commissioner Gordon.

He leaves again, but Dick’s not too put off by this. He knows that Bruce has never been very comfortable with being too affectionate in front of others. They’ll probably be able to spend time together later, anyway. It’s not like Alfred will let Dick leave anytime soon.

By this point, it’s already almost four-thirty, and his heart is starting to beat faster again. At any moment now, Jason and Damian will arrive. Adrenaline surges through Dick. By the way that Tim’s foot is tapping slightly, it’s clear that he’s getting antsy too.

At around four forty-five, they hear the front door open from above them, and they all freeze. Seconds later, they can hear Jason’s muffled voice talking.

“Wait,” Babs says. She stands up, pulling Dick up with her. Her eyes glimmer. “Let’s hide Dick.”   
Before Dick can say anything, he’s already been escorted to a hidden area of the cave by two grinning vigilantes. 

“Guys...” He says, but doesn’t put up too much of a fight. To be honest, he’s just as excited to see how Jason’ll react. He can’t let them know that, though.

Once Dick is safely hidden, both Tim and Babs walk back to where the computer screens are. They sit down and begin to type. If Dick didn’t know better, he’d have thought that they’re actually working. 

The door leading to the cave opens, and he hears the familiar thump thump of Jason’s boots coming down the stairs.

“Well, well, well.” His brother calls down the stairs. “Look who it is.” He jumps over the rest of the railing.

“Hey, kid,” Babs responds, pushing herself away from the table. Of course she’d still address him as kid.

“I’m surprised you haven’t forgotten how to get here,” Tim adds on, still looking at the computer. 

“Har.” Jason adjusts his jacket. He probably knows that he’s being watched, but thinks that it’s one of Bruce’s cameras. His gaze sweeps over Dick’s hiding place without a second thought.

“Do you have any idea why the old man called us down here?” He says. So he’s not angry at Bruce- angrier than usual, anyway. He would have come in guns blazing if he was truly angry, which means that whatever happened to Dick probably happened in Blüdhaven or something.

“I think he said it has to do with a cold case or something,” Tim says, still not looking at Jason.

“Why’d he call all of us then? All he needs is you two.” Jason says. 

“Dunno,” Tim says. 

“Hey, Jason,” Babs says, her tone finally becoming more excited. Jason probably hasn’t realized it yet, though. “Could you check to see if Dick’s okay?”

Dick grips the stone corner that he’s leaning on. He can see Jason stiffen.

“Why?” He says. Now he’s getting suspicious.

“Don’t ask questions,” Babs says warningly. Jason gives a sigh, then begins to walk over to the bed. The bed itself is pretty hidden, although Dick’s still further away from Jason than it is. 

Jason’s footsteps stop.

“Holy shit.” He mutters. Then he whips around. “Are you serious?”

Tim begins to laugh quietly. 

“No, wait. Seriously?” Jason says, his voice growing shaky. Tim looks up at him.

“Why would we move him if he wasn’t awake, Jason?”  
Dick laughs now as he peers around the corner. He beams at Jason.

“Surprise!” He calls.

For a second, Jason’s stunned. His false bravado slips away, and all he does is stare at Dick. Then he gives a grin. A real one. 

When he speaks again, his tone is actually warm. "Hey, idiot." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well hello- fancy seeing you here.   
> So uh, yeah, it's been a month. I really can't apologize enough, lol. I like to procrastinate a lot, as you can see. Hopefully, though, I'll be able to update frequently and regularly again. Feel free to yell at me in the comments if I don't.   
> For all of you who have been coming back to this story, I honestly can't thank you enough. Everyone's been so amazing, and it makes my day when I see a new kudos or a comment in my inbox. I really can't put into words how happy you guys make me. Thank you to each and every one of you!  
> There's really no good way to end this note, so I'll end it here I guess. I hope I see you guys soon!  
> -Oki


	9. At A Loss For Words

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Awkwardness ensues.

Like before, Tim leaves to give his brothers some space, and this time, Babs joins him. Now it’s just Dick and Jason.

They stare at each other uncomfortably, then Dick tentative takes a few steps, gripping the wall. He's been using the walls in the Manor to prop himself up for a few hours now, but his feet are still shaky. Without the years of conditioning he's received, he doubts that he'd be able to walk at all.

“You need help?” Jason says gruffly. He seems to have recovered from his shock.

“No thanks. I got it.” Dick responds quietly. He takes a few more steps, then clings onto the wall.

“How’s life?” He asks. Jason scoffs a little.

“Kinda bad.” He says. Then his tone switches. “Until recently.”

This is the closest that Jason’ll ever get to saying that he’s missed Dick. “I’m sure it wasn’t that terrible.” The older boy says.

“Ever the optimist, aren’t you?” Jason replies. 

“Yeah.”  
“I guess we need someone to say that not everything is getting screwed over,” Jason says. That takes Dick off guard. Suddenly, he realizes how tired Jason looks. More tired than a twenty-five-year-old should look. 

“Are you okay?” Dick asks on instinct. Jason pauses. 

“You’re the one who just got out of a coma. Are you sure that you should be asking me that?” He says, tearing his gaze away from Dick’s.

“Yeah. I mean, I wanna know how you are, Jason.” Dick says. Something unreadable flicks through Jason’s expression. 

“I’m fine.” He says quietly. They lapse into silence again.

“Why’d you upgrade your bike?” Dick says, desperately searching for something to not make everything awkward. Thankfully, this seems to do the trick, because Jason glances up again.

“You know me.” He says. “I gotta one up Bruce.” 

“Of course you do.” 

From that point, both of them busy themselves with conversation as they sit down. It's not exactly absoutetly natural- Jason doesn’t talk as much- but it's not as awkward as it was a few minutes earlier. It’s sort of nice, spending time alone together. Dick doesn’t remember the last time they’ve actually sat down and talked about non-patrol related stuff. And Jason’s not deliberately not listening to Dick now, which is new. He’ll probably go back to ignoring him soon, though.

About twenty minutes later, Jason gets a message on his phone. He takes it out, mid-sentence, smirks a little, then tucks the phone away. He stands up.

“I gotta go do…. stuff.” He says. Dick raises an eyebrow.

“You’re coming back, right?”

“Maybe,” Jason says ominously. His smirk turns into a grin as he quickly runs into the elevator, not waiting for Dick to respond.

Dick lets out a sigh, even though his mind is racing. Jason usually wouldn’t run out this quickly. Unless he’s really angry, he tends to loiter around, just to stress Bruce out. Bruce isn't here, so maybe that's why Jason's leaving so quickly, but something tells Dick that this isn't the case.

Not even two minutes later, he hears the door leading the cave open again, and someone begins walking down the stairs. He tilts his head. He doesn’t remember these footsteps. 

A few seconds later, a man comes into view, his back to Dick. For a moment, Dick thinks that it’s Bruce. The hairstyle is similar, and so is the type of clothing that he wears. But Bruce would at least acknowledge him, most likely. And he’s shorter than this man. 

“Damian.” Dick says numbly, realization hitting him. The young man turns around on instinct. His familiar green eyes lock onto Dick’s. He freezes.

Dick can’t really say else either. All he can do is stare. Stare at the person that he last saw as an eleven-year-old.

And then a voice- not quite Damian’s, but well-known none the less comes from Damian’s mouth. “Grayson.” He whispers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!  
> I'd just like to get thoughts on something.  
> I'd first like to say that I'll probably be making this story a series. I think that if I break up this story into sections, the story won't seem too overwhelming to some readers!   
> This is where I need your guys's opinions. Most of the series will just be going into chronological order. However, I was thinking of writing a story (that could be completely separate!) about what it was like back when Dick was still in a coma. I know that obviously everything would kinda be spoiled, but I feel like that could be lead up to some great angst/fluff? I don't know... Let me know if that interests you!  
> -Oki


	10. It Was Only Three Days Ago That I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Basically, it's at a loss for words part two.  
> Also it's Dami's POV now!

When Damian got to the Manor and saw Tim, Barabara, and Jason huddled together, he found it odd. He found it even odder when they all grinned at him. Jason grins at him when he’s pulling a prank on him, but this was a different smile. And Babs wouldn’t usually grin like that. And even though Damian and Tim have gotten along better now, Damian hadn’t expected him to smile at him.

So that already made him confused. 

But now, as he stands in front of Dick, he knows. And he can feel the tears threatening to spill over. Like they did back when he was a child. Back when everything felt like it was crashing down.

It’s a new emotion that he’s feeling now. Like relief, but more. Like everything that collapsed on top of him is reconstructing.

He hasn’t been able to say anything other than “Grayson.” He knows that he should say something. But all he can do is stare at the man, who, when Damian had visited him a mere three days ago, was pale and unconscious. 

He swallows slightly. “You’re awake.” He says. Dick’s not smiling at him. He doesn’t seem too upset, but it’s like he’s not sure if he should be smiling. Damian’s probably not smiling at him, either. How old was he when Dick got into that coma? It had been close to his twelfth birthday, he remembers now. God. 

Maybe Dick just remembers him like he used to be.  _ Of course he does.  _ Damian scowls. It wasn’t like Dick could hear him while he was in his coma. Damian could have killed Superman for all Dick knows.

So perhaps he hates Damian. Maybe he thinks that Damian has changed. And maybe that’s why Damian’s paralyzed now. Loathing for his other brothers builds up in him. They probably had wanted to make him as uncomfortable as possible.

Then Dick smiles at him, and Damian feels all the tension leave his body. He gives a half-smile back.

“Long time, no see, Dami.” Dick did call him Dami when they were younger, didn’t he?  
“That’s your own fault, Grayson.” Damian says dryly. He freezes. Should he be saying that? He doesn’t want Dick to feel as if he’s the one to blame. Because he’s not. Not in a hundred years.

But Dick laughs instead. “Yeah, I guess.” He responds. He grabs the railing of the bed and begins to push himself up.

_ He shouldn’t be doing that.  _ Damian blinks, then races to help him.

“Don’t try to walk by yourself, imbecile.” He says, grabbing Dick’s arm and pulling him up. 

“You’re really dishing out the insults, huh?” Dick teases as Damian rolls his eyes. 

“What am I supposed to call you?” He says. He still can’t believe this is happening. He drapes Dick’s arm over his shoulders.

“You’re not gonna let me hug you?” Dick says, grinning. Damian’s smile grows. Since when has he started smiling again?

“No.” He replies. Another laugh from Dick. Damian never thought he’d hear that laugh again.

“So, you’re eighteen, huh?” Dick says as they walk into the elevator. Damian confirms it, trying to ignore the fact that Dick’s too skinny.

“I’m old.” Dick says as the door closes. 

“Not nearly as old as Father is.” Damian says, smirking. 

“So we’re bashing Bruce now.” Dick says. 

“Yes.” Another laugh. Damian grins again. 

“I’ve been spending too much time with Todd.” He says. 

“That’s good!” Dick says. 

“I beg to differ,” Damian responds as the door finally opens again. They walk out of the elevator again. Damian knows that he should get rid of the stupid smile he has on his face, but right now he can’t be bothered. Oh well. He’s sure that when he sees Drake he’ll be able to scowl again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!  
> So from the comments I've been getting, it's clear that people actually read the notes, which is a relief, lol. So I just want to thank you all for giving me your feedback! I'm actually currently working on somewhat of a prologue to this story, so be a lookout for that. So yeah, I think I'm gonna make this a series :). There were a few of you that said that this fic wasn't too overwhelming, which is great to hear! I'm just breaking this up for the people who may be overwhelmed. Also uhhhh I'm gonna try and have a regular posting schedule! I think I'll try to upload every Tuesday, so be excited. (Please. Be excited. I'm begging you.)  
> -Oki


	11. Some New News

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick finds out what Damian's been up to.

This is surreal.

Everyone’s around the dinner table. Everyone’s getting along (kind of). And everyone’s seven years older.

Dick forces himself to not look too freaked out. Usually, he’d be the one trying to get his brothers to get along, but they seem to be doing that by themselves, at least a little bit. 

Jason and Damian are having a heated discussion to the sides of the table while Tim, Alfred, and Dick watch. Babs is talking to Bruce about something from where they’re sitting while Alfred listens in. For once it feels like a true family environment.

“I’d like to see you try, Todd,” Damian says finally, and Dick tunes back in. To be honest, he hasn’t really been paying attention. Does he feel guilty about it? Yes. But there’s nothing he can do about it now.

“I’ll do it. And you’ll owe me twenty bucks.” Jason responds, picking up his cup and taking a sip of his drink. When he sees Alfred give him a look, he quickly continues. “We’ll do it outside. Don’t worry, Alfred.”

“Just don’t break any bones, Master Jason,” Alfred says tiredly. Jason nods, then catches Dick’s eye. He grins, then looks back at Damian.

“Hey, Damian.” He says quickly. Damian doesn’t respond, but tilts his head slightly, indicating for Jason to continue. “Did you tell Dick what you did?”   


Dick looks back and forth at them quizzically. “No?” A quick glance at Tim confirms that this is what he was talking about last night. “What’d you do?” He asks Damian.

Damian’s demeanor has changed. He slouches in his seat, something that he’s carried with him from childhood. “Nothing.” He almost sounds embarrassed.

Babs and Bruce have paused their conversation as well. Now the entire table is silent. 

“I’m sure Master Dick will be touched that you did what you did,” Alfred says, trying to egg Damian on. Damian scowls.

“It’s not important.” He looks at Dick. “Really, Grayson.”

“Fine. I’ll tell him.” Jason leans forwards. “So Damian-” He winces slightly as they hear Damian kick him. “Ow. What’d you do that for, brat?”

Damian glares at him. “Grayson doesn’t need to know.” His grip around his fork tightens.

“I want to know, Damian,” Dick says. The brothers stare at each other for a few seconds, then Damian finally looks away. He sighs.

“It’s really not that interesting.” He says slowly. He stares stubbornly at the fork. “But since Blüdhaven still needed a Nightwing, I started patrolling there a few nights a week. When I graduated high school last year, I started patrolling there full time.” He looks up at Dick now, who’s completely stunned. “I won’t stay Nightwing forever, Grayson, so don’t be concerned. When you get better, I’ll give the role back to you.” Upon not receiving an immediate response from Dick, he looks back at his fork. 

Everyone holds their breath as they wait for Dick’s response. His mind reels.

Damian’s Nightwing. Damian’s Nightwing. Damian’s Nightwing. 

Then Dick grins. “You better let me hug you now, Damian.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again!  
> Haha, I'm sorry, I don't usually put this many notes in my stories but oh well I guess? So I just wanted to apologize if this chapter felt a bit like filler. I promise next week the ball will finally get rolling again!  
> -Oki


	12. Cabin Fever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick wants to leave.

Two days stuck in the Manor is one thing. Dick can handle it.

But it’s been two weeks, and he’s ready to break something.

Not surprisingly, Bruce has forbidden Dick from going to Blüdhaven until the perp is caught. The younger man isn’t even sure how Damian managed to be able to start patrolling as Nightwing in the first place. Dick bets that the former Robin just started patrolling there and wouldn’t leave, so Bruce had to eventually give in.

But, while Dick and Alfred have been able to convince Bruce to go to his day job, he’s still sort of hovers over Dick. Dick can’t be too mad, especially since it’s honestly kind of funny. Bruce has never been good at expressing concern or relief, and he seems to have gotten worse. So his hovering is more like him just walking by Dick’s room randomly as if he thinks that Dick won’t notice.

Obviously, Dick has.

But despite the humorous aspect in this, Dick wishes that Bruce wouldn’t. He doubts that the man will get too visibly upset if he escapes the Manor, but Dick’ll know that he’s pissed.

Still, being under house arrest, even when Dick’s only stuck in the Manor, is getting old.

It doesn’t help that the only way that Dick can help out on patrol is behind a screen. He’s had to work behind screens before, of course. But it’s always been his least favorite part of the job. He prefers actually being  _ out there,  _ beating up criminals, and saving civilians. 

Sitting behind a screen, instructing people on what to do, is a thankless task.

Especially since most of said people don’t even listen to him. Not that he can blame them. 

There are long periods of peace, where nothing happens, and Dick can do his own research. But whoever put him in a coma was able to cover their tracks so meticulously that even Batman himself doesn’t have that much information.

Dick needs to get to Blüdhaven, even though that means that he’ll have to face Bruce’s wrath. 

Besides, Dick has a feeling that Bruce almost expects him to escape.

But it’s not like he can just go to Bruce and ask for a ride to Blüdhaven. Even if the man expects him to go against his orders, he’ll still try to prevent Dick from doing so.

So Dick automatically turns his attention to his brothers. 

Tim’s the first person he thinks of. He’s never really listened to Bruce, which is half of the reason he even got in the family in the first place. 

But he does have a strong moral compass, which means that he’ll probably still not take Dick to Blüdhaven, even if it’s for a day. And even if he did, he’s in New York for the next few days, which is way too long for Dick to wait.

Dick subconsciously must be really desperate, because he actually goes against his better judgment and calls Jason. 

He’s unsure of whether or not the other boy will pick up. Jason’s pretty much gone back to normal, avoiding going to the Manor at all costs. Although, he did stay there for two days after he reunited with Dick, so Dick can’t really complain.

But surprisingly, Jason does pick up. On the very last ring, but he does nonetheless.

“Tell Bruce to fuck off. I’m not gonna work with him on the case.” He says, not even letting Dick say a greeting. His brother stares at the phone incomprehensibly for a few seconds, then speaks.

“I’m not calling on behalf of Bruce, Jay.” 

There’s a pause, then Dick can hear the smirk in Jason’s voice as he answers. “He’s not using you as a messenger boy again yet? I’m shocked.”

Dick huffs a laugh, then his tone becomes more serious. “I’m actually calling to ask you for a favor.”

Yet again, he’s expecting Jason to just hang up. But maybe Jason’s not completely back to normal after all, because he just gives a simple “What?”  
Dick takes a deep breath. This is it. “I need you to take me to Blüdhaven.”  
Another pause, then Jason scoffs. “Yeah, and make me get yelled at by Alfred.”

“Jason-”

“I’m not taking you to Blüdhaven, Dick. I’d love to anger Bruce, I really would. But this time he’s not just being super paranoid. It hurts me to say it, but it’s true.”

“I’ll be careful-” Dick begins.

“Yeah, like that’ll help,” Jason responds. “Look, you annoy me to no end. But if the guy who put you in a coma is still around, and he attacks you again, that’ll be on me. And I really don’t want that on my non-existent consciousness.”  
They both fall quiet as Dick’s anger shimmers. He really wants to argue back with Jason, but the other man’s right to be concerned. 

He bites back a frustrated sigh. They both know that he’s going to find a way to get to Blüdhaven without Jason’s help. It goes without saying.

“Thanks for picking up,” Dick says, forcing his voice to remain cheerful. Jason probably doesn’t buy it, but he doesn’t say anything. 

“Yeah.” Is all he says, almost distractedly. 

“Alright. Talk to you later.”  
“Don’t count on it.”  
“Right.” Dick hangs up. His heart clenches as he realizes that he’ll have to go with the final option, as much as he doesn’t want to.

Don’t get him wrong- he still loves Damian. But he’ll definitely get his brother into hot water. He also knows that Damian won’t take Bruce yelling at him without yelling back.

Maybe if Dick can trick Damian into thinking that he’s going to Blüdhaven for some other reason…. 

He hates the thought of that.

He’s always tried to be truthful to Damian, mostly because the kid’s pretty perceptful for his age.

Dick reminds himself once again that Damian’s no longer a kid.  _ Which means that he’ll be more likely to see right through me. _

Dick frowns at that. He manages to maintain his regular tone when he calls Damian and the other boy answers. 

“Hey, Dami.” He chirps.

“Grayson.” Comes the voice from the other side of the line. Dick doesn’t think he’ll ever get to the fact that this is Damian’s voice now. 

“So, uh. I don’t know how long I’m gonna be staying at the Manor, and I figured that I should probably get back to my apartment and bring back some stuff to make the place feel more homey.” Dick rushes. He can hear the skepticism rising off of Damian. 

“You need to make the Manor feel more like home?” He says slowly.

“Yeah. I mean, the Manor’s changed a lot…..” Dick’s voice trails off.

“Richard.” Damian snaps as Dick stiffens at his real name. “Lying to me isn’t helping your chances of getting to Blüdhaven.” 

Dick doesn’t know what to say for a second, but he can feel himself beginning to grin.

“Right. You’re right. Sorry. I just didn’t know if these phones were tapped.”

Damian hms, then speaks again. “That’s a decent point.” He seems to hesitate for a millisecond, and if Dick hadn’t lived with Damian for six months, he’d have missed it. 

Damian’s tone is abrupt as he speaks again. “I’ll pick you up tomorrow at nine p.m. We shall stop by for dinner on the way. 

Dick leans against a wall. “Sounds good. Thanks, Damian.”  
Damian mumbles something back, then hangs up. It’s suddenly too quiet, and Dick’s not prepared for the sense of loss that hits him. Up until this point, he hasn’t really thought about the fact that Damian lives in a whole nother city now. An unknown emotion rises up, and Dick’s smile fades.

He shakes his head. He misses Damian, sure, but there’s no point dwelling on the past. If he dwelled on the past, he’d still be Robin.

Still, it sort of hurts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello hello hello,  
> Uh... first of all, sorry for the missed week. Life got in the way, lol.  
> Also!   
> It felt wrong posting this chapter without saying happy birthday to two best bois: Jason Todd and Damian Wayne. So, uh yeah, happy birthday, lol.  
> See you guys next week!   
> -Oki


	13. Clues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick and Damian head over to Blüdhaven.

Dick’s done his fair share of sneaking around behind Batman’s back.

It started as soon as he became Robin, really. At first, he had somewhat innocent reasons to do so, and most of the time it had been just for fun. He’d sneak out to the arcade, or to see Babs, or to do normal preteen things. He’d always come back knowing that Bruce would be annoyed, but there wouldn’t be any major repercussions.

As time passed by, though, he started sneaking out for more serious reasons. To be able to make it to a rehearsal for a friend, ones that Bruce wouldn’t let him go to. To get some space to breathe. 

And, most of all, just to get away from Batman. Away from that disapproving scowl and guarded personality. But even sneaking out didn’t help. Not really. He’d always felt like Bruce was watching him, even after he eventually stopped being Robin.

It’s a similar feeling now, Dick realizes as Damian opens the door to Dick’s apartment. For some reason, Dick’s unease grows as he stares at the entranceway.

Damian flicks his gaze towards him but doesn’t say anything. Instead, he walks inside briskly. 

Dick’s grip around his braces tighten, and he limps into the apartment too. It doesn’t even feel like his anymore, even though he can tell that Damian hasn’t touched anything. Or at least moved anything significant.

“I’ve kept everything to your liking, Grayson,” Damian confirms, taking off his jacket and throwing it over the coat hook.

“You sound like Alfred.” Dick jokes. Damian shoots him a look.

“That’s a pathetic insult. Of course I do. Living with him so long was bound to do something.” He says defensively. Then he smirks. “You sound like him too, sometimes. So do Todd and Drake. And don’t get me started on Father.”  
Dick’s grin widens as he puts his own jacket away. He knows exactly what Damian means. Bruce has seemed to pick up Alfred’s way of speaking well, and even substitutes American words for their British counterparts at times, which has thrown off people just getting to know Bruce Wayne before.

“What did you need here?” Damian’s not talking about packing things up anymore, obviously, but Dick still doesn’t know how to respond. He follows Damian into the living room.

“I just wanted to check for clues.” He says finally. Damian straightens up. 

“There are things of interest that I collected in a box. None of those lead anywhere, or at least, that’s what I thought. I shall grab the box for you.” He says formally. Before Dick can say anything, he’s gone.

Dick stares after him. He's still getting used to the cooperation from Damian. He's unsure if he's like that to everyone. They were Batman and Robin together, so maybe Damian’s just used to helping Dick.

Dick does hope that Damian’s changed in terms of cooperation, though. He seems to have or at least is more willing to talk to people, based on the interaction that they, Jason, and Tim all had at dinner two weeks ago.

Dick shifts restlessly. He wrinkles his nose distastefully at his braces, then walks to the bookshelf that’s in the living room. He runs his fingers over the books. They seem to be still taken care of, just like everything else has been. Damian’s really been trying to preserve everything. Dick smiles softly.

Then his gaze lands on a hardcover-  Carrie,  and he frowns slightly.

The book rings a bell, and not just because he’s read it before. He doesn’t think he’s read the book recently, which makes things even weirder, because he could have sworn that he’d touched that book before-

Before the coma. Dick’s eyes widen, and he quickly pulls the book out. He doesn’t know why, but something tells him that he needs to look inside the book.

He pulls it out, then flips through it. His eyes search for some type of answer, something to show that he’s not crazy.

As he gets further into the book, he realizes that there are no such clues about what happened. His grip on the book tightens.

He reaches the end of the book.

There’s still nothing there.

Defeatedly, he begins to put the book away, when something shifts underneath his fingertips, right underneath the paper lining of the cardboard. He pulls the book back to him, and a business card falls out.

For a second, all he can do is stare at the card on the floor. Then slowly, he bends over to pick it up.

Automatically, he notices that, while the card is made out of cardstock, it feels bad quality, somehow. The bottom right corner of the card is already peeling, which could make sense since it’s been at least seven years since Dick’s touched it last. But he’s also pretty sure that good quality cards don’t really do that unless they’ve been handled a lot.

“What are you holding?” He hears Damian say, and he looks up to see his brother standing in the doorway. The teen holds what looks to be a shoebox, but Dick knows better. Most people probably wouldn’t be able to open the box.

“A business card,” Dick responds, looking back down at the card. 

“The Lonely Otter.” He reads, raising an eyebrow at the name. He looks up again. “Does that ring a bell to you?” 

Damian pauses, then shakes his head slightly. “No.” He keeps his gaze steady, and the answer seems genuine enough. “It’s a pub, I’m assuming?”

Dick reads the rest of the card, then confirms it. “It sounds familiar.” He says thoughtfully. The name does tug at him somehow. He can feel Damian studying him.

“Then that’s where we should start.” He says professionally. “Or, to be more precise, that’s where  _ I  _ should start.” He sets down the box, then plucks the card from Dick’s fingers. “Thank you, Grayson.” 

Dick shoots him a look. “Damian, give me back the card.” The expression on Damian’s face finally makes sense.

He’d used him.

Damn it.

Quickly, Dick uses the crutches to swing himself in front of Damian. He lets them go and lands directly in front of the other vigilante. Damian’s eyes widen in surprise, and then they narrow.

“Pick up your crutches, Grayson.”  
Dick holds his gaze. “Damian, look, I appreciate you trying to protect me. But I’m thirty years old. I’m able to protect myself.” He smiles winningly at Damian, who doesn’t seem convinced in the slightest.

“You sound like Father.” He says flatly. 

“Maybe I do. But it’s not like I’m going to fight anyone at the bar. I promise.”

Something changes in Damian’s expression, but he maintains the frown. Dick softens a little. He’s seen this happen before when they were younger.

“I’m not going to leave you again,” Dick says quietly. He reaches out for Damian, but the boy flinches away.

“You’ve been watching too many movies, idiot.” 

Dick grins. “Yeah. I know.”  
They stare at each other, then Damian sighs. “Fine. But I’m not letting you go out as Dick Grayson or Nightwing.”  
Dick collects his crutches. “C’mon, Dami. Do you really think I’d be that dumb?” He says airily.  


The skeptical look on Damian's face gives him his answer. 


	14. The Lonely Otter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The night continues.

“Grayson, you’re going to a bar- not to prom. Hurry up.” Damian snaps from the other side of the bathroom door. He hasn’t bothered ditching Dick now. He knows his brother will chase after him regardless. 

Dick runs his hand through his hair one last time.

“Shhh.” He responds. Part of him doesn’t even want to leave the bathroom. It’s been seven years since he’s been here, after all. That’s probably why he’s been fixing his hair even though he’s going to put on a wig in a few seconds. 

A thought occurs to him, and he grins. “Hey, who took you to prom, anyway?” 

There’s a pause. “I didn’t go,” Damian responds. Dick’s grin fades.

“Why not?” He asks.

“It seemed like a waste of time.”  
“C’mon, Damian. Prom’s one of the biggest nights of your high school career.”  
“No employers ask you if you went to prom. And I wouldn't have been able to have a conversation with any of the people there anyway- it was the senior prom and I was supposed to be a junior.”  
Dick finally stops messing with his hair. He grabs the wig and begins to fit it on his head. “Still. You should have gone. You could have made new friends.”  
Damian snorts. “Believe it or not, not everyone’s a social butterfly like you.” He says. “Besides, I had patrol.” That puts a bit of a damper on Dick’s mood. He’d have thought that Alfred would have stopped Damian from doing something like that, but he’s realized that Damian’s become even more stubborn.

“You didn’t let being Nightwing ruin your childhood, did you?” Dick asks.

Damian sounds like he’s about to say something sarcastic, then pauses again. “No.” He’s lying through his teeth, Dick can tell. And once again, Dick hates himself for getting into that coma. He shouldn’t have had to force Damian to grow up so quickly.

He fixes his wig, shoving the frown away. He doesn’t need to worry Damian.

He opens the door and freezes.

Nightwing doesn’t look up from what he’s typing on his phone. “The Lonely Otter is about two blocks away from here.” He says curtly. Upon receiving no response from Dick, Damian looks up again.

Then realization seems to hit him because he immediately looks away. “I got used to putting on the Nightwing costume. If it makes you uncomfortable, I can find something else.” There’s that weird embarrassment again. 

Dick snaps out of his reverie and shakes his head quickly. “No, Damian, it’s fine. It just took me off guard.” He walks past Damian. “Honestly, I’m touched. You’re gonna make me cry.”  
He doesn’t miss how Damian relaxes the slightest bit. “Shut up.” He snaps. 

******

In contrast to any assumptions Dick might have made before getting to the bar, it’s actually pretty well put together. Soft jazz plays in the background, and there are few rowdy drunks there. The whole place is dimly lit by candles, giving off an atmosphere of more of a medieval pub than anything.

Now that it’s around eleven, the club is getting pretty full. No one spares Dick a second glance, though, which is probably good. 

He walks over to the nearest bartender, already giving his own award-winning smile. 

“Hi!” He says. He watches in satisfaction as the bartender smiles back. 

“Hello.” He responds. He continues cleaning the cup he’s holding with a dishrag.

Dick sits on a stool and leans over the counter. He makes his grin grow. “Can I tell you a secret?”  
The man raises an eyebrow, but he says that Dick can. Dick leans in even more.

“Well, you see, I’m not from around here, so there’s no one that can back me up. But for the past six and a half years, I’ve been coming to the bar everyday, from dawn till dusk.”  
The man’s eyes widen. “Every day?” His name tag reads Walt. 

Dick nods exaggeratedly. “Every day. I don’t need a job. See, my uncle’s rich, and he pays for all of my expenses, as long as I get in a good word for him with all my buddies at the bar.” He props an elbow on the counter.

Walt gives a slow nod. “That’s uh... Something.” He says. 

“I know, right?” Dick says, then turns around, acting like he’s taking everything in. “So. Has everyone beaten my record here?” He turns back. “If not, you owe me a free drink.” He says the last part teasingly. He doesn’t want to get into a bar fight right now.

Walt doesn’t seem too bothered by this. Instead, he smirks. “Sorry, kid. But old Kingston, over there-” Dick looks towards where he’s pointing, “Has been here day and night for the past eleven years. He breaks up fights, so everyone lets him stay.”  
Dick studies the mentioned man. 

He looks relatively well put together, just like everyone is here. The one thing that really seems off about him is that he’s wearing a thick winter jacket, although it’s mid-August.

Dick quickly thanks Walt, slipping a hundred dollars onto the counter. Then he strides over to Kingston, trying to see what reaction he’ll get when he interacts with him.

The man isn’t one of the rowdy drunks- in fact, he’s sitting quietly, staring emptily at his drink. 

“Hey,” Dick says, and Kingston immediately looks up, his eyes wild. He seems to realize that Dick’s not going to attack him, though, because he relaxes.

“What do you want?” He says, not curtly exactly, but not friendly, either.

“Heard you’ve been here rain and shine for eleven years,” Dick says, letting his voice drop an octave. Kingston shifts to get a better look at him.

“Yeah? So? You one of those people who’s gonna try to get me to stop drinking?” He asks. Dick holds his hands up in some type of surrender as he shakes his head quickly.

“Oh, no!” He lowers them. “I was actually gonna challenge you to a drink off. In another bar, because some people are looking at me funny here.” No one’s spared him a second glance, but Kingston doesn’t know that.

Kingston narrows his eyes suspiciously, then stands up. “Fine. Where?”

Dick grins. “Great!” His mind races to remember another bar that’s nearby. “How does The Bachelor’s Party sound?”

“Whatever.”  
“Perfect,” Dick says. He follows Kingston out of the bar. They haven’t been out of the bar for a minute when Kingston suddenly vanishes. Dick pauses, and something curls around Dick’s waist, and he’s hoisted into the sky.


	15. Rooftop

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Interrogation time!!!!!

Dick lands onto what he assumes is the pub’s rooftop. 

Kingston stands next to him, paralyzed.

“What happened on May fifth, seven years ago?” Someone growls, and Dick looks back to see Damian stalking towards them.

“W-what?” Kingston whimpers. Then his voice raises. “What are you talking about?”  
Damian studies him coolly. Dick feels a shiver go up his spine. Damian’s dressed up as Nightwing, sure, but he looks more like Bruce than ever.

“You know exactly what I’m talking about.” He hisses. “You arranged a hit on the previous Nightwing.”  
Kingston’s eyes go round. “I don’t know-”  
“You were at the bar, that night, were you not?” Damian interrupts.

“Probably, but-”  
“And you talked to someone about Nightwing?”  
Kingston pauses. “The dead one?”  
Damian doesn’t look at Dick. Instead, he scowls. “No one ever said that he was dead.”  
The man pauses, then seems to be trying to backtrack. “Well, he hasn’t been seen in years. I just thought he was dead. Everyone does.”  
Dick’s seen this type of thing before. Criminals usually slip up like this. Still, something seems off.

Damian’s only a few inches away from Kingston now. He towers over the drunkard. 

“What did you talk about?” He says, his voice flat.

Kingston suddenly (stupidly) gets a spurt of bravery. “I don’t need to tell you anything. It was just a conversation.” He smirks. “You can’t kill me for just having a conversation, can you? You wouldn’t even if I did admit anything. You people don’t kill.”   
Damian’s scowl deepens. Without warning, he grabs the scruff of Dick’s shirt and dangles him off of the roof.

For all Dick can do is stare. He knows that Damian’s got a strong hold on him, and he’s not going to drop him. This is also part of the plan, and Damian isn’t even the one who came up with this part. Dick can see clear as day how uncomfortable he is with this, but, to Kingston, he seems utterly at ease. 

“You’re a friend of Harvey Dent’s, aren’t you?” He asks. Dick nods hastily, making his eyes go round. Damian looks back at a frozen Kingston. Now he grins.

“Having a friend of Two-Face’s die due to your negligence isn’t really good for your safety.”   
Kingston now is on the edge of a meltdown. The redness of his face is visible, even in the dark.

“You don’t kill.” He says again desperately.

“My arm’s getting tired.” Nightwing counters. He’s dangling Dick just above a dumpster full of trash, and the bar is only two stories tall, so all that’ll happen if he does let Dick go is that his brother will get dirty. Kingston is unaware of this, just like everything else.

“P-Please.” Dick gasps out. He grabs onto Damian’s arm lightly. “Let me go.” He forces himself not to grin at the irony.  
Damian stares back at him. “That’s a poor choice of words.” His voice is different now- his tone as cold as it used to be when he’d just come to Gotham.

“Wait!” Kingston croaks and the brothers turn their heads again. He’s on the floor for some unknown reason. He reaches out towards Damian.

“Don’t let him go.” He whispers. “I’ll tell you everything I know.”  
Damian pretends to hesitate, then gives a curt nod. “Begin.” Kingston eyes him until he sets Dick on the roof again. His gaze drops.

“Look, it was a while ago. Don't know exactly when, but at some point around that time. Both of us were blackout drunk.”  
“Who?” Damian growls.   
“I dunno. The guy’s real name was never revealed, but h-he went by Tarrin Keith. Brown-haired man- green eyes and wore baggy clothes. He was just talking about Nightwing. He said t-that Nightwing didn’t save someone close to him or something.”

Dick’s mind races. That could be anyone. He’s come to terms that he can’t save anyone, but most people haven’t. Dick’s fought villains that have hated him because of that. His stomach clenches as his thoughts begin to drift to the people he hasn't saved. He swallows.

He can’t recall anyone with the last name Keith, though. The guy must have known that Kingston would squeal.

“We never talked about killing Nightwing, I swear!” Kingston said, holding his hands up in surrender. Either he’s a really good actor, or he’s telling the truth. Damian seems to agree because he moves on.

“How did you know him?” He questions. 

“I didn’t!” Kingston still sounds panicky. “He just showed up at the bar one day! He….” His voice trails off as a peculiar expression falls on his face.

“He what?” Damian asks. Kingston launches himself at him, and Dick can see the slightest bit of surprise on the vigilante as the suspect latches onto his foot. 

“You gotta promise me that you’ll protect me.” He whispers. Damian doesn’t say anything for a few seconds. Then, he seems to remember that he needs to be talking because he asks why.

“I don’t know what this guy does for a living. If he finds out that I tattled, he’ll kill me.” Kingston says shakily.   
Dick’s eyebrows furrow slightly. 

“Why?” Damian asks. Kingston doesn’t respond, and with a sigh, Damian continues. “Unless you’re proven to be lying, I won’t let anyone attack you.”  
Kingston relaxes at that. He remains on the floor, however. “Okay.” He exhales. “Okay. The one big thing I remember about this guy was that he said that he was on the run. It wasn’t like he announced it. But when we were drunk, he told me. He said…. He said he had escaped from Gotham.”  
Both of the other men stiffen. That just makes the amount of suspects increase. 

“Who was he running from?” Damian asks, his tone losing some of its coldness.

Kingston stares at him, then gives a nervous laugh. “Well, I thought he was hidin’ from the Bat, which is bad enough. But he told me that he wasn’t….”  
“Who was he running from?” Damian says impatiently. 

Kingston grins the grin of a dead man. “The Red Hood.”   
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaa, I swear that I'll try to update more frequently! Thank you guys for staying patient!

**Author's Note:**

> Hi!  
> It's me again. I hope you're enjoying this story so far.  
> Life's really crazy right now, and I hope this story helps somewhat. I'll try to update as quickly as I can.  
> Really off-topic but uhhhh...I hope you guys are staying safe right now.  
> If you're in America currently and are protesting, I support you! Black lives do matter! If you are able or willing, please try to donate to local organizations that support these protests.  
> On a slightly lighter note: Happy Pride Month!  
> Yeah, I really don't know how to end this note, so I guess I'll just wrap it up right now.  
> Stay safe, and hopefully I'll see you soon!  
> -Oki


End file.
